Podcast Overview (Archived)
This podcast sought to explore the dual aspect of motivation and morale: why people fought and why they might not. For example, why individuals enlisted in military forces, endured the tribulations of life on active service and why they might have committed war crimes. It also considered the ‘flip side’ of morale by examining why some people refused to serve or enlist in armed forces, and studied why people in combat deserted, mutinied or rejected military authority.
It explored all types of military force and conflict, from non-state actors in asymmetrical campaigns to uniformed personnel in standing armies fighting in conventional battles.
The discussion focused on why combatants enlisted, fought and served (or not) in particular conflicts, with an emphasis on exploring how individual and group actions in armed conflicts were shaped and moulded by contextual factors. These factors included the role of society, culture, ideologies, religion, the socio-political environment or system, group dynamics, individual motivators, organisational policies and inter-personal relationships.
About the host/producer
The host and executive producer of the podcast was Dr Tom Thorpe (website). He is an independent scholar and public historian with an interest in combat motivation, morale and the ‘will to fight’, particularly how these elements can be shaped by institutional, personal and contextual factors to influence outcomes on the battlefield.
Audience
The podcast was aimed at people with a general interest in military affairs, history and war, rather than specifically at academics, scholars or experts.
Podcast objectives
- Promoted discourse: to help build a community of scholars, professionals and interested individuals with a curiosity about combat motivation and morale, and to share and communicate scholarship and learning across the subject.
- Generated discussion: to connect with the wider public and promote popular understanding of motivation and morale of combatants in conflict.
- Encouraged debate: to promote the multidisciplinary dissemination and discussion of research and scholarship into combat morale and motivation across various audiences.
Why launch the podcast?
Understanding the ‘human domain’ of warfare – especially motivation and morale – was often a neglected and poorly understood dimension of victory or defeat on the battlefield.
Podcasts had become increasingly popular, and there was considerable public appetite and interest in podcasts covering history, combat and warfare.
There was no podcast at the time that examined motivation or morale in depth, unlike others such as the Urban Warfare Project or the Irregular Warfare Podcast.
This podcast aimed to be a platform for members of the community interested in morale and motivation to talk about and discuss their work with an audience of like-minded individuals.
Note: This podcast has now ceased recording new episodes, but the archive remains available for those interested in the subject.